Section 755.10  Definitions

"Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5].

"Centers for Independent Living " means organizations serving the needs of those persons with hearing or speech disabilities as described in Section 12a of the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act [20 ILCS 2405/12a].

"Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.

"Deaf-blind" refers to a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing and who also has a sight-disability and who can regularly and routinely communicate by telephone only through the aid of equipment.

            "Deaf or hard-of-hearing" refers to a condition of permanent hearing loss (whether continuous or variable) by which regular and routine telephone communication is possible only through the aid of equipment.

"Disability" refers to a condition of being permanently hearing disabled, deaf-blind, speech-disabled, hearing-sight disabled, or speech-sight disabled.

"Equipment " means telecommunications devices capable of servicing the needs of those persons with a hearing or speech disability as specified in ITAC's tariff pursuant to Section 755.135(a)(1).

"Hearing disability" refers to condition of being permanently deaf or hard-of-hearing.

"Hearing-sight disability" refers to a condition of permanent hearing and sight disability that renders regular and routine telephone communication possible only through the aid of equipment.

"Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation" or "ITAC" means the not-for-profit corporation jointly established by Illinois telecommunications carriers providing local exchange service pursuant to Section 755.105 to administer programs mandated by Section 13-703 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-703].

"ITAP" or "Program" means the Illinois Telecommunications Access Program, by which Illinois telecommunications carriers providing local exchange service shall provide the telecommunications devices capable of servicing the needs of subscribers with disabilities as required by Section 13-703 of the Act.

"Line charge" means the charge authorized by Section 13-703(c) of the Act.

"Organizations" means Centers for Independent Living and those Illinois-based not-for-profit organizations not owned or operated by any political subdivision, public institution of higher learning, state agency, or municipal corporation of this State whose primary purpose is serving the needs of those persons with disabilities.

"Personal service contracts" means all contracts entered into by ITAC, on behalf of the carriers for publicity/marketing and accounting.

"Projection period" means, for each annual filing required by Subpart F, a 12-month period beginning January 1 of the year in which the filing is made.

"Recipient" is a user or a parent or legal guardian of a minor user in whose name equipment is granted, as provided in Section 755.205(b).

"Social service agencies" means the Illinois Department of Human Services- Office of Rehabilitation Services; Department on Aging; Department of Public Aid; Department of Public Health; Department of Children and Family Services; the State Board of Education; the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children; the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission; and any other agency with which ITAC contracts to provide services for persons who are deaf-blind.

"Speech-disability" refers to a condition of permanent speech disability that precludes oral communication by which regular and routine telephone communication is possible only through the aid of equipment.

"Speech-sight disability" refers to a condition of permanent speech and sight disability that precludes oral communication, and by which regular and routine telephone communication is possible only through the aid of equipment.

"Staff" means individuals employed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

"Subscriber lines" means a voice grade communication channel between a subscriber and a telecommunications carrier's public switched  network, which would be required to carry the subscriber's interpremises traffic and which is capable of providing access through the public switched network to the Illinois relay system.  A subscriber line does not include 800 lines or access lines used for official communications of telecommunications carriers providing local exchange service.  For customer bills issued before June 1, 2004, in calculating charges on subscriber lines, each centrex line shall be equivalent to one-tenth of a residence or business access line.  For customer bills issued on or after June 1, 2004, in calculating charges on subscriber lines pursuant to 220 ILCS 5/13-703(c), one charge shall be applied for each five centrex lines, and five charges shall be applied for each PBX trunk.  ITAC's tariff shall specify the manner of applying charges to other multi-channel technologies.

"Telecommunications carrier" or "carrier" means a telecommunications carrier as that term is defined in Section 13-202 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-202] that is providing local exchange telecommunications service as defined in Section 13-204 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-204].  For purposes of this Part, "telecommunications carrier" or "carrier" also includes telecommunications carriers that are mutual concerns as defined in Section 13-202(b) of the Act.

"Telecommunications relay service (TRS)" or "Relay service call volumes" means all Illinois intrastate calls placed through the Illinois Relay Center, whether or not completed.  

"User" means an Illinois resident with a disability whose eligibility has been established as provided in this Part for whose use equipment is provided, as set forth in Section 755.205.

"Voice grade access" means a functionality that enables a user of telecommunications services to transmit voice communications, including signaling the network that the caller wishes to place a call, and to receive voice communications, including receiving a signal indicating that there is an incoming call.  For the purposes of this Part, bandwidth for voice grade access is 300 to 3,000 Hertz.

"Voucher program" means a program for the distribution of equipment offered by ITAC, on behalf of the carriers, pursuant to Section 755.100(b).

(Source:  Amended at 28 Ill. Reg. 859, effective January 1, 2004)